Glass-casting apparatus.



H. G. SLINGLUFF.

GLASS CASTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. :5, I913- Patnted Jan. 80,

mmwa

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

I ATTORNE WITNESSES:

H. G. SLING'LUF'F.

GLASS CASTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION flLE D i AN.-I5, I913.

HEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

m w n W H. G. SLINGLUFF.

GLASS CASTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JANul5, I9l3.

I Patented Jan. 30, 1917,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES Apparatus, of which to the casting of plate gl HARRY G. SLINGLUFF, OF MOUNT VERNO GLASS COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PEN

VANIA.

NQOHIO, ASSIGNOR TO PITTSBURGH PLATE NSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- GLASS-OASTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Jan. 30,191'3.

Application filed January 15, 1913. Serial No. 742,148.

To all cizYwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY G. SLINGLUFF,

a citizen of the United States,'residing at -Mount Vernon, in the county of Knox and State of Ohio, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Glass-Casting the. following is a specification.

This invention has reference to glass casting apparatus, such as used for exam le in the manufacture of plate glass and it as as one of its primary objects the provision of apparatus whereby the molten glass from the melting tank is delivered to the point of casting in a condition best suited for the casting operation, thereby insuring a product of superior quality. My invention con templates the delivery of the glass with the least possible amount .of agitation, thereby reducing the'liability of the presence of air bubbles or blisters, and also the maintenance of the proper temperature conditions until the molten glass is actually delivered.

In accomplishing the above-enumerated objects, I notonly obtain a superior p'roduct butlcheapen the cost of production through the simplification of the apparatus and saving in time 'efi'ecte over apparatus ordinarily employed in similar use.

Other features of the invention reside in provision of means whereby a substantially unbroken supporting surface is provided for the molten glass to the point of casting; the provision of improved means for spreading a charge of molten glass across the casting table; and the provision of an accumulating tank together with means for efl'ectively heating it and means for effecting an intermittent discharge of glass therefrom.

The foregoing together with such other objects as may herein after appear or are incident to my invention Iattain by means of a construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view. of my improved arrangement of casting apparatus as applied ass.

Fig. 2 isa sectionon'the line 11-11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line III-4110f Fig. 2; and Figs. 4: and 5 are perspectives of details of my invention.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer-- relatively restricted ably employ a chain of three tanks, A. B and C. A represents a glass melting tank or furnace whichis of the usual construction and is supplied with heat in any preferred manner. The melted glass flows from tank A into a refining tank B wherein the glass settles and becomes substantially uniform in temperature. From the refining tank B the metal flows into what I term an accumulating tank, the tank C above referred to, in which the glass can be constantly maintained at any preferred temperature found suitable for the particular casting operations in hand. The primary features of my invention reside in the provision of this accumulating tank and a detailed description thereof will now be presented. The tankcomprises a chamber 7 which is substantially closed over by a roof 8 and which is provided with an inlet opening 9 at one end and an outlet or discharge opening 10 at the other end. The openings are so it will be clear that the tankis in efiect a closed-chamber and that by virtue thereof the molten glass entering from the refining tank can be maintained at any suitable temperature. Heat is supplied to the tank by burners 12 arranged on both sides of the tank. The tank is preferably composed of a metal shell 13 lined with fire clay 14 and is so constructed that the lining can be renewed. The tank is supported in such manner that the spout 15 of the refining tank B projects into the inlet opening 9 while at the same time swinging movement both vertically and horizontally is permitted, as will hereinafter further appear.

The supporting mechanism comprises an overhead frame or boom 15 which is pivoted atits inner end to the structural framework 16 on which is also mounted a pair ofconcentric tracks 17 and 18. The boom has two sets of rollers or wheels 19 and 20 which engage the tracks and permit of a swinging movement of the boom about its pivot. Toward the rearend, the boom is provided with two depending bars 21 which are suitably braced by means of the truss rod 22 against collapsing inwardly and have their ends the glass in the tank,

is substantially at the rear edge of the tank so that the front end of the tank can be freely lowered without imparting suflicient motion to the rear end to cause the tank to strike against the spout 15. The front end of the saddle frame 24 is supported from the boom by the yoke 25 pivoted to the saddle frame, and the cable 26 which passes over the pulley 27 to a drum 28 which is rotated by a motor 29 through a worm gear 30 and shaft 31. It will be obvious that through this operating mechanism, the front end of the tank- 0 may be raised or lowered as may be desired. The bars 21 are braced by the angle irons 32. All of the supporting framing is made of structural sections of sufficient strength to provide adequate support forthe tank. Fuel for the burners is provided by the pipe 33 and branch pipes 34 which are carried by the tank and have a flexible connection 34: to the pipe 33, the latter being flexibly connected to any suitable supply pipe.

he operation of the apparatus is as follows: The molten glass from the refining tank flows through the spout 15 on to the inclined inner surface 35 at the rear of the accumulating tank C, the flow being continuous while the apparatus is in use. When the tank has a suflicient quantity of glass, the casting table 36 is brought into position beneath the front end of the tank and the said end is lowered by means of the motor29 and a portion of the glass is discharged out of the opening 10 onto the casting table. The quantity discharged for a casting operation is but a small portion of as I contemplate making the tank of such size that there will always .be a considerable quantity of hot metal therein so that the temperature of the tank will not vary but will normally remain approximately at a predetermined figure. It will be obvious that the presence of a large quantity of hot metal in the tank will resolve the maintenance of the temperature at the desired degree to a mere matter of regulation of the burners.

W hen suiiicient glass has been deposited on the table, the tank is elevated and the iiow from the opening 10 ceases. The glass is then rolled by a roll 37 in the usual manner and drawn to one side and the operation is repeated. it will be clear that the iiow K from the refining tank continues during the discharge or" the tank (I, this bein of importance as it assists in keeping the temperature inthetank more uniform. I

if is desired to distribute the'metal across casting table, the boom 15' is roated about its axis and. of course carries it tank W hen the apparatus is not in use, the block 15 is drawn into position to close 0% the spout.

order to ei'iect the delivery oil the glass from the melting tank to the casting table with the least amount of agitation possible, the tank and its supporting mechanism are so arranged that regardless of the angular position of the tank either vertically or horizontally, the glass discharging into it will always roll down the inclined surface 35 to the bottom of the tank. The inner surface 38 leading to the discharge opening is also inclined to eliminate agitation of the glass. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the manner in which the glass is supplied to the tank permits of the intermittent discharge of the tank without disturbing temperature conditions, and .this' together with the evenness of the flow and the absence of agitation, results in the delivery of the glass in condition most suitable for the casting and obtains superiority of product and reduces-the liabilit of blisters or air bubbles and other defects to a minimum. It will be clear that the apparatus is simple and convenient in operation and efi'ects a saying in time and labor with a consequent diminution of the cost of production. A further advantage resides in the fact that the spout 15 is practically enshrouded by the tank whereby cooling of the metal as it flows through the spout is prevented.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following 1. In combination in a glass pouring apparatus, a supply tank containing molten glass, and a tilting tank adjacent thereto into which the glass from the supply tank is continuously supplied in a relatively small stream at the rear end and from the front end of which the glass discharges when the tank is tilted, said tilting tank being mounted on fixed pivots at the rear end thereof which receives the glass so that when the front end is lowered such rear end is not materially changed in vertical position.

2. In combination in a glass pouring apparatus, a supply tank containing molten glass and provided with a laterally projecting discharge spout, a closed tilting tank provided at the front end with a discharge orifice and at the rear end with an opening through which the said spout projects, and means for heating the glass in the tilting tank, the said tilting tank having its pivotal support at the rear end thereof and so positioned that such rear end is not materially changed in vertical. position by the lowering at the front end of the tank.

In combination in glass peuring apparatus, a supply tank containing a relatively ge supply of molten glass, a tilting tank position to receive the glass discharged ifacz'n the supply tank means whereby t lt he tilted te discharge a our tilting tank upon which the stream of glass from signed my name in the 'presence of the two the supply tank fallslbeing inclined bot-h subscribed witnesses. when the tank is in ti ted or ourin )osiv ,v T s tion and when it is in normzii 01' n iit ilted HARR1 SLIBGLUPI 5 position, and being located in both positions Witnesses:

so as to receive show of glass. BANNER M. ALLEX,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto T 110s. E. DAUGHERY; 

